Tinker-Bell Tells All
by donnak
Summary: Set immediately after 3X16, Tinker-Bell explains to Robin about the lion tattoo and Regina's apparent fascination with it.
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! Wow! Thanks for all the Favourites and Follows. CRAZY! Outlaw Queen is AMAZING!

I (heavily) edited this chapter. As well, I totally forgot to put disclaimers and all that stuff yesterday when I uploaded this. I was just so excited to get something done! Lol

There will be another chapter for this. Hopefully sometime in the next couple of days.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the characters or the show OUAT. This is purely for fun and non-profit

Idea for this fic came from a post i-am-captain-magic on Tumblr.

/post/81948796348/outlaw-queen

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**Chapter 1**

Tinker Bell hurried towards Granny's diner, needing to find out more from Regina about her meeting with the man with the lion tattoo, all the while thinking about yesterday's encounter.

'I just know she's keeping something from me. The way those two were looking at each other…I could have grown a third eye and neither of them would have noticed.'

She was in such a rush that she almost ran straight into Robin as he was on his way out.

"Oh! Hello again Robin. Have you seen Regina anywhere?"

Upon hearing her name, Tinker Bell could swear there was a beginning of smile forming on his face.

"No not today I haven't. She's…had a lot to deal with since her altercation with the witch last night."

Robin leans into Tinker Bell and begins to look worried. "Is everything all right? Is there anything I can do?"

'Anything you can do indeed!' thought Tinker Bell.

"No I'll try her house, or maybe the Town Hall," she answered. Of their own accord, her eyes found his tattoo and her expression changed; her face softened and she smiled wistfully to herself. She was thrilled that Regina had finally found _him_.

Robin followed her gaze which landed on his arms and exclaimed, "What is with women in this town and this tattoo? First Regina can't keep her eyes off of it, and now you." He chuckled at the absurdity of his next question, "Is there something I need to know about it? Is it enchanted or cursed?" He smirked.

Tinker Bell registered the words he said and knows what she should say. Something like 'Of Course not Robin, it's just rare that's all!' or 'Regina has a thing for tattoos' but she couldn't formulate the words. She has always been one to speak the truth and to do what is right, the most direct way possible.

She grabbed him by the arm and led him outside so that they were standing in front of the diner on the patio.

"Robin, I need you to listen to me. Regina…" she paused, she was going to skirt her way around this but now that she was here talking to him, she decided to just get everything out into the open. "Regina has her reasons for being weary in regards to you. You make her uneasy and remind her too much of her past."

Robin was stunned by this revelation. How on earth could he remind her of her past? He only met her a few days ago?

"How is that possible exactly?"

Tinker Bell took in a deep breath, and with all the sincerity she could show, she took Robin by the hand and explained. "I knew Regina long ago, before she cast the curse, before she was the evil queen. I met her when she was a lonely, sad, and isolated young Queen. She confided in me about her fears about her life and her future and I encouraged her to find a new love."

Upon hearing this news Robin interjected with a smirk. "I take it that didn't go over very well with the Queen?"

"Oh no! The complete opposite really. She let me lead her to her soul mate. She _wanted_to love again, I could see it in her eyes! I stole pixie dust to help with my spell and sure enough it did work, it… led us to her True Love. But…" She paused, unable to meet Robin's ever-intensifying gaze as he was becoming enraptured with the story. "…she left without meeting him. Just left. She could have had happiness. Everything she ever wanted but she was scared. I don't know if she's ever truly gotten over her mistake."

After hearing the story and searching for any other clues or insights into its meaning from Tinker Bell's face, Robin exhaled a deep breath which he hadn't been aware he'd been holding. With a sigh he replied, "Well this explains why she is so reluctant to spend any time with me then. If she couldn't meet her soul mate then why would she even entertain the notion of being with me!"

Tinker Bell's face fell flat at his confession and her heart broke. Robin noticed her reaction; his heart began to speed up, realization beginning to dawn upon him. He began to understand why Tinker Bell felt the need to share this story with him, why she looks like she's doing something wrong but yet is compelled to do so. He cautiously asked his next question even though some part of him already knew the answer. "Tink…who was this man?"

Tinker Bell just stood there and struggled to breathe; the exchange between them had become so tense. She looked up at Robin and his gaze was that of someone who was full of hope and longing, and also as if he was bracing himself for the answer he knew was coming. The intensity of the look on his face became too much that she avoided his stare and she inadvertently let her gaze fall on his arm. She whispered, "The man with the lion tattoo."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there! Thanks again everyone for reading and reviewing! Really love them!

I apologize for the long wait. I work full-time plus take courses. (excuses, excuses)

Chapter is short but the next one won't take too long. That one will hopefully be longer! Enjoy!

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Robin stood there, stunned. Frozen. He tried to grasp what Tinker-Bell had just confessed to him. His mind was running a mile a minute, his eyes roamed over the concrete bricks, the siding of the building, the trees lining the streets, anywhere he could as if they contained the answers to his burning questions.

'I'm…Regina's soul mate? He thought to himself. 'Her true love? Is this possible? She's known all this time?…Why did she avoid….how come…'

"How is this possible?" Robin finally replied, his voice a whisper. "Is this why…", his eyes reached Tinker-Bell as he began to ramble off his thoughts. From the moment he first met her, he was intrigued and captivated by every facet of her personality and beauty, and now knowing about their connection, all the questions he's had about these intense feelings he had immediately felt towards her came pouring forth, like a dam breaking under pressure. "Is this why she has been acting so odd around me? She…does she hate me? I know how I feel about her. I…she's so beautiful, she's strong, there's just something about her…"

"I know Robin." Tink responded. "You feel like that because of the bond you two share. It's destiny Robin, and now you have met and have a second chance."

'_We all deserve a second chance'_

There was something about Tinker-Bell's response that struck a chord with Robin. He felt as if he had heard that somewhere before and as though it had something to do with him but he couldn't quite place where he had heard it.

"What should I do Tink? I want to go to her but…"

"Robin, this much I know." Tinker-Bell interrupted. She attempted to explain Regina's actions and what course of action Robin should take. "I've seen the way Regina looks at you. I know she wants a second chance, but after all the evil she's done she's afraid she doesn't deserve one. And also, I know she just might kill me after finding out I told you about the tattoo." Tinker-Bell's expression was a combination between a smirk and legitimate fear.

Robin sighed and eventually he began to smile. "I doubt it will go to those extremes. I'll…I have to talk to her…I'll defend your case, I'll say I coerced it out of you." Robin winked.

"Oh please!" Tinker-Bell scoffed. "Regina will see right through that. Just be honest with her." A large smile appeared on her face while she blissfully told him, "Robin, I'm so happy for you both."

Touched by her sincerity, Robin returned the smile. "Thank you Tink. This is was incredibly unexpected, but not unwelcomed news. So…should we go and find Regina together or…."

"Oh I think I've talked enough today! Find her and "talk" to her." TInk smiled and began to walk inside the diner, leaving a confused, frightened, and elated Robin on the patio by himself. He turned to face the road, feeling lighter, and overjoyed. He looked off into the direction of the Town Hall and thought to himself, 'Now, off to find Regina.'


	3. Chapter 3

Hey All! You inspired me! I wrote both chapters today. I figured I'd post what I have so far and continue.

Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favourites!

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`What am I going to say to her? 'Hey Regina! Tink just told me the oddest thing…' No, I can't do it like that. But I have to do something. This news just makes sense to me in some strange way.`

Robin had never walked with such a strong sense of purpose before. He could see before him the tower of the Town Hall peeking out above the shops on Main Street. He was hoping she was there yet at the same time, was nervous.

`Why am I nervous? It`s not like I've never talked to a woman before. For gods sakes I`ve been married before! Granted that this is the Evil Queen I'm thinking about.' And with that thought he stopped dead on the sidewalk. 'The Evil Queen. That is what she is. I've heard the stories, the rumours. Were they exaggerated? I somehow doubt that. I think she has done horrible things…should I want to be with someone like that? What about Roland? If she is my soul mate then she would be Roland's mother of sorts and is that the kind of person I would want around my child?'

He shook his head of the negative thoughts which had entered his head, placed there no doubt by the fear and nervousness he was feeling. 'What am I saying? She is not that woman, or at least I haven't seen her acting cruel or evil, bold and audacious maybe, but not evil.' He smiled to himself at the memory of the two of them flirting in the witches' house. 'The past is in the past. I only know the woman I see in front of me and I like what I see. I have a past I'm not particularly proud of, and I hope she sees passed that too.' Hope began to creep back into Robin's thoughts and he resumed his path towards the Town Hall passing a small park. It was there he saw her, alone on a park bench overlooking a small pond.

He approached her slowly, she was focused on the ducks on the water, she tilted her head slightly in order to fully capture the sun's warmth. It was then she saw him approaching her.

"Good Morning, Your Majesty." He greeted her with a smile and an exaggerated flurry of his hand to accentuate the grandeur of her status.

Regina rolled her eyes while a smirk involuntarily formed on her lips. "You don't have to call me that, you know. 'Regina' is fine."

Robin sat down next to her on her right leaving some space between them, he hooked his arm over the bench, his hand close to Regina's shoulder.

"Well I could, I suppose but doesn't your name mean 'queen' in the first place?" He chuckled. Looking deep in her eyes, and beginning to feel the anticipation of what is going to happen. His smile reaches his eyes and she can see the glint in his eye and laughs softly at his response.

"Regina," Robin began, "Can we talk for a minute?"

Regina's forehead creased as she answered in a saucy retort, "Isn't that what we're doing right now?"

"Yes well, what I mean is, that there is something…," he tried to find the right word: 'important', 'urgent', 'pressing' ? "…Something has come up and I need to…find out what you…how…" Robin became frustrated and blew out a puff of air. He was in disbelief at just how quickly he had lost his nerve and forgotten everything he needed to say. This was turning out to become more difficult than he had originally intended.

Regina looked curiously at Robin. 'What is he trying to say? Is it about my heart? The witch?'

It seemed as though Robin lost an inner conflict with himself; defeated, he shut his eyes and pushed up his right sleeve and bared his arm to Regina.

"I know what this means to you"


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again for reading everyone. I'm so glad you are all enjoying the story. It's been so much fun to write. There will probably be 1 more chapter, maybe two.

Enjoy Regina's reaction!

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"What do you mean?" Irritation and fear tinged Regina's hesitant voice. She sat up and looked intently into Robin eyes until he met her gaze.

"I know about…Tinker-Bell and the Pixie dust." Robin said hesitantly, bracing himself for the outburst.

"You what?!" she yelled as she pushed herself up from the park bench while turning and facing him. She stared at him, almost daring him to say something. "Damn Fairy! Why the hell would she…"

"Please do not be upset with her Regina." Robin implored while still seated on the bench, partly because he was at a loss of what to do, but mostly out of pure shock by his method of revelation. 'Why the hell did I just spring it on her like that? What is wrong with me?'

"Not be upset with her? Robin, she shared something incredibly private of mine with a stranger."

Robin's head shot up at her response. "A stranger. Is that what I am to you?"

She shook her head, and tried to bring some gentility into her voice, "No, Robin you're not but…"

He stood up and moved so he was within arm's reach of her. "Does not this prophecy affect me as well? Should I not have a say in this situation?" As he began to say the words aloud he realized that he was becoming angry as well; angry that she kept this from him, angry that she never had the guts to talk to him all those years ago. The fury in his voice was perpetually becoming more apparent as he continued, "I had been wondering why you ran out on me at the farm house and this," pointing to his arm, "explains it. You ran! You ran away from me again. You were scared. That tells me that you wanted this, but for some reason, decided against it. Don't blame Tinker-Bell for your mistakes," he took a step towards her, "if you need to be angry with anyone, be angry with yourself."

"Don't you think I am?" she retorted, stepping closer and getting in his personal space. Emotion was riddled throughout her voice betraying her better judgment. He was too close, and now he knew too much. She shook her head, took a feeble step back as she tried to regain some of her composure. She absentmindedly fixed her hair and straightened her coat. "This doesn't change anything." She felt her walls coming back up, the powerful Mayor Mills taking control once again. "It happened such a long time ago. Pixie dust really is unpredictable magic." She tried to make futile excuses and Robin was not buying any of it.

He leaned forward, noses almost touching. Regina could feel his light breath on her face as he softly asked "Ask me what I plan on doing now that I know about the tattoo?" Robin's eyes drifted towards her lips and back up to her eyes.

Regina hesitated, not sure if she should believe in this. Could he actually care for her? How can she trust that he was not influenced into this decision? She decided to call him on his bluff, she asked, "What do you plan…"and before she could finish her sentence, Robin closed the final gap between them and kissed her gently, wrapping his arms around her waist. Regina was shocked at first; she had her objections, her fears, and her insecurities. But being held and kissed by Robin right now felt so right she responded into his kisses and touch and she moved her arms over his chest and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him tighter into their embrace.

A/N

Sooooooo, Yeah! I hope Regina isn't to OOC for some people. Don't worry. There will be backlash! In the next chapter! (oops spoiler!) Thanks for reading!


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